Improvement in horse-rakes



M. BRADLEY.

Revolving Horse Rake.

No. 25,088. Patented'Aug. 16, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT TEicE.

MABO BRADLEY, OF DUNDEE, lLLINOlS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,088, dated August 16, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. BRADLEY, of Dundee, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and lmproved Horseltake; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speclfi cation, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken in the line a: x of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct 'my invention, 1 will proceed to describe it.

A A represent the thills of the rake, which may be of usual construction; and B is the rake-head, which is of cylindrical form and fitted in a suitable bearing, a, at the back part of the thills A.

(J represents the rake-teeth, which are constructed of wire coiled around the head B, and having their ends secured in metal bars I), which are bolted or screwed longitudinally to the rake-head, and having recesses 0 formed in their inner sides to receive the coils of the teeth, as shown plainly in Fig. 1. There are three bars I), one being secured to the rakehead between the thills A A, the other two being secured to the head at each side of the thills. The bars I), besides securing the teeth to the head B, also prevent any longitudinal play of the same, in consequence of their ends abutting against the sides of the thills directly over the bearingsa of the head, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

To the rake-head B there are attached two curved rods, D D. The lower ends of these rods are bent so as to be in a nearly horizontal position, and when the rake-teeth are at work the lower ends of the rods D rest on the ground, the lower ends of the teeth 0 being slightly above the surface of the ground. (See Fig. 2.) To the rake-head there are also attached two spurs, E'E, which are rather shorter than the rods D D. The spurs E project downward and outward from the back partof the head B, and they are slightly curved upward at their ends, as shown clearly in Fig.2.

l ward and outward from the rake-head, and they are considerably shorter than the spurs E, and like them have their ends curved slightly up ward. The rods D and spurs E F are attached to the rake-head near each end, as shown plainly-in Fig. l.

On the central bar, I), at a point equidistant between the two thills A A, there is a projection, G, and to the cross-bar H of the thills A A an elastic bar, I, is attached, said bar hav- --ing a shoulder, 0, at its outer end, against which shoulder the projection G bears when the rake is at work. (See Fig. 1.) In the outer part of the barl a bent lever, J, is placed or secured by a fulcrum-pin, d. The lower part of this lever J extends as far as the shoulder 0 of the bar I, and the ugper end of said lever is pivoted to a slide-rod, K, which is litted in a guide, 0, formed in a bow-shaped rod, L, which is attached to the back part of the thills.

The operation is as follows: As the implementis drawn along the teeth 0 gatherthe hay, the rake-headbeing kept in proper workingposition in consequence of the projection G hearing against the shoulder c. The rods Dsupport the rake and keep the ends ot'the teeth free from the ground, and the device consequently may be easily drawn along and the hay gathered in the hollow of the teeth 0. When the raketeeth are full the operator or attendant shoves forward the slide-rod K, and the lower partof the bent lever J, in consequence of bearing on the upper end of the projection G,will elevate the back part of the bar I and free the projection G from the shoulder c. The rake then turnsacertain distance, owing to the resistance of the hay in the hollow of the rake and the forward movement of the machine, and as such resistance ceases the short spurs F come in contact with the ground, and, in connection with the spurs E and rods 1), rotate the rake completely around to its proper working posi tion, the projection G striking the lower part of lever J, and, in consequence of the resistance ofi'ered to it, coming gently in contact with. the shoulder c of the bar 1. In consequence of having the spurs F comparatively short, the rake is turned within a short conipass and with an increased speed after the hay is freed from it. The windows therefore are To the front side of the head B-two spurs, F F, quite compact, not of the wide scattered form are attached. These spurs also project down i as produced when half wheels or spurs oiequal length are attached to the rake-head, and the In the construction of horse-rakes, the use hay by myinvention may be readily put up in of the recessed metal bar I), spursE F, rods or cocks. The teeth 0, in consequence of being shoes D, elastic bar I, lever J, slide-rod K, and secured to the rake-head by the bars I), are projection G, the whole being constructed and firmly secured to the head and prevented from employed together in the manner and for the being injured by the rotation of the rake, the purpose substantially as herein described.

coils not being allowed to come in contact with MARO BRADLEY. the ground. Witnesses I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- P. D. KENDALL,

ters Patent- WM. B. SMITH. 

